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PHOTOS: Species Closest to Extinction

Edecio MartinezPublished: Feb 20, 2013, 2:06 PM ESTweather.com

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Sumatran rhino, Diceros sumatrensis. (Save the Rhino International)

The photo gallery above features a selection of the 100 most critically endangered species in the world from the 2012 report "Priceless or Worthless" by the Zoological Society of London and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The conservation groups fear that the animals, fungi and plants, located in over 40 countries, will go extinct because they do not provide people with obvious benefits.

"The donor community and conservation movement are leaning increasingly towards a ‘what can nature do for us' approach, where species and wild habitats are valued and prioritized according to the services they provide for people," ZSL's Director of Conservation Professor Jonathan explains on their website. "This has made it increasingly difficult for conservationists to protect the most threatened species on the planet"

Officials say that dedicated preservation can prevent the species' extinction. The groups released the report on Sept. 11, 2012, which was presented to a global conservation forum in the Jeju Province of South Korea.